No American president has ever done this.
In a proclamation tied to the 250th anniversary of American independence, President Trump has designated this Friday night and Saturday as “Shabbat 250” — calling on Americans of all backgrounds to set aside time for “rest, reflection, and gratitude to the Almighty.”
Not a national day of prayer. Not a generic moment of silence. A Shabbat.
Israel365 is gathering this Thursday, May 14th at 2 PM EDT for a live prayer call to explore what God is doing in this extraordinary moment. Rabbi Rami Goldberg will be joined by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, Rabbi Elie Mischel and Rabbi Elie Weinstock for a conversation that brings the wisdom of Torah to bear on one of the most unexpected developments in modern American history.
And the timing could not be more striking. Hamas supporters rioted outside synagogues in Brooklyn just this week. Anti-Semitism is surging to levels not seen in decades. Jewish students are being harassed on campuses across the country. The streets outside synagogues look nothing like the “safe harbor” George Washington promised when he wrote to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport in 1790.
And yet precisely now — at this moment — the President of the United States is calling the entire nation to stop, and to tap into the ancient Jewish power of Shabbat.
Why? What is God doing here?
We don’t have all the answers. But we believe that when a president calls a nation back to God’s Shabbat in a time of darkness, it is not an accident.
Join us Thursday to pray, to study, and to seek understanding together.
Thursday, May 14 | 2 PM EDT | 1 PM CDT | 9 PM Israel
